WILD GLADIOLUS

Gladiolus illyricus

Iris Family [Iridaceae]

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8pink
 
inner
inner8yellow
 
inner
inner8white
 
morph
morph8zygo
 
petals
petalsZ6
(3 + 3)
type
typeZtrumpet
 
stem
stem8round
 
rarity
rarityZrare
 
sex
sexZbisexual
 

7th July 2016, Shatterford, South Hampshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
These plants like to grow in heathy places beneath Bracken in scrub, as here. The plant grows to 50cm high, occasionally up to 90cm.


Unknown date, New Forest, Hampshire. Photo: © Peter Andrews
There are between 3 and 6 flowers in a spike, here 4.


7th July 2016, Shatterford, South Hampshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The flowers are zygomorphic and initially a slightly drooping trumpet shape. Note the two pale, pointed, semi-translucent sheaths/bracts either side of a flower stalk with their tips often purple.


7th July 2016, Shatterford, South Hampshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
There are 6 petals on each flower: the central one shows 3 lower petals and 3 upper petals, the furthest one mostly hidden by the other two.

Looking at the bottom flower: there are three petals near the top, a cowl beneath which the indigo-coloured sexual organs lurk (just visible here). Dangling almost vertically downwards beneath those are 3 other petals.



6th July 2011, Burley, Hampshire Photo: © Dawn Nelson
There are supposed to be 6 petals per flower, the lower three are overlapping somewhat. Two of them are shaped a bit like canoes with the petal curled up at the 2 sides. Their sexual organs are hiding beneath the topmost petal.


6th July 2011, Burley, Hampshire Photo: © Dawn Nelson
As the petals age they turn mauve to purple. The opened up flower is between 3.5 to 5cm across with the lobes themselves being between 2.5 and 4cm long and 0.6 to 1.6 cm wide.. The stems are pale green.

You can just make out some sexual organs just beneath the topmost petal (here slightly purple pink)


Wild Gladiolus likes to grow in heathy places beneath Bracken in scrub. It is now a very rare [RRR] occurring only in the New Forest but was previously more numerous growing also in the Isle of Wight and Dorset; all in the far South (but not, it seems, Devon or Cornwall which is a popular destination for many plants).


  Gladiolus illyricus  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Iridaceae  

Distribution
 family8Iris family8Iridaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Gladiolus
Gladiolus
(Gladiolus)

WILD GLADIOLUS

Gladiolus illyricus

Iris Family [Iridaceae]